At the 2019 Annual Conference for the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) the Executive Director of Families for Addiction Recovery, Angie Hamilton, gave a presentation asking CSAM to support the decriminalization of drug possession for personal use. Since then, she became a member of CSAM’s Policy Committee and is pleased to be a co-author of their just published “Policy Brief: CSAM in Support of the Decriminalization of Drug Use and Possession for Personal Use“.
For a long time, I fought to find recovery, constantly falling back into old patterns, feeling trapped in a cycle that I thought I would never break. Many know my story, but if I had to pinpoint the exact moments when I began to find my way, two stand out more than...
“I can’t emphasize to people enough that it is so important to let people in your life know they’re loved” Thank you to Chuck for sharing his story of recovery with us. Check out his podcast Ashes to Awesome for more inspiring content.
"We love you. We’re here for you. Recovery is worth it." Thank you to Chad for sharing his story of recovery.
Today marks six years free from all mind-altering substances—something I once thought was impossible. I was lost in addiction, broken, and spiraling out of control. I kept heading down the same destructive path, committing what felt like suicide on the installment...
By: Carolann Reflections on My Journey: In this journey, if we don’t get the outcome we desperately want, it’s natural to have regrets. By regrets, I mean the things I wish I had done differently or known earlier. I did my best with the knowledge I had, and I try to...
By: Carolann Introduction: In this post, we explore the complex issues in caregiving and the healthcare system. It’s a heartfelt look at the struggles faced by both healthcare workers dealing with system problems and caregivers supporting their loved ones. While we...
By: Carolann Introduction: Figuring out when a loved one is in crisis and whether they are competent to make medical decisions is a tough part of caregiving. Caregivers often face complex situations, trying to tell if someone is just being defiant or genuinely can't...
By: Carolann Introduction: Taking care of a loved one who struggles with substance use disorder (SUD) can be very hard and emotionally draining. It takes a lot of strength, patience, and the ability to handle a difficult healthcare system. Besides dealing with the...
By: Carolann Introduction In this episode, we turn our attention to common myths and misconceptions about mental health and substance use disorder treatment. These misconceptions shape policies and treatment methods, adding to the stigma and discrimination in...
By: Carolann Introduction: In our journey to understand the complexities of caregiving for those with mental illness, we will explore the personal impact of stigma. As caregivers, we often find ourselves balancing love, duty, and societal judgment. This post examines...